I don’t have time for captions but wanted to put a few more pictures of the Clivias that are showing off in the greenhouse.  There are about 18 scapes this year, which is really good.  There are a few non-Clivia pics too.

There is too much to do for me to spend much time documenting things.  I wanted to post a few pictures of some nice bloomers, though, so I have a record of them.

One of the gorgeous “peach” Clivias.  This one has a great scape shape, big blooms, and a fantastic color–a real winner!

Another view, with the tubular-flowered seedling behind.

Here is the other first-time bloomer.  This one is a bit more yellow, and the scape is a bit weaker, but it is still gorgeous.

My lens fogged over due to the humidity in the warm greenhouse, but I snapped this close-up of my favorite Clivia anyway.

Mom’s Cymbidium blooming in the corner.  Nice, graceful flower scape.

Here is the second Restrepia division with both flowers open.

These flowers make me laugh–they look so alien!

Not a good picture, but he Pelargoniums are just starting to bloom in the greenhouse.  These flowers are on top of a monster 5-footer!

 

 

The rain and cold came back today, so I spent much less time outside.  I did manage to plant some tomato seeds inside and to repot all of the Streptocarpus (Cape Primroses) in the greenhouse.  I’m pretty stubborn with those plants.  I refuse to give them bigger pots, so I root pruned them substantially and added some really rich soil to the pots that included about 40% composted steer manure and a healthy dose of organic fertilizer.

Streptocarpus blooming last fall.

One of the plants had rotted, but there were two decent leaves left, so I used them as leaf cuttings.  Another plant had divided so much that it had completely filled the top of the soil with plants.  I cut that one in half and sawed some of the roots away from both halves before potting them in the magic mix.  Another pot had an amaryllis seedling started in it with a decent sized bulb.  I potted that on separately.

I think this was the cultivar that died back but left me with two leaf cuttings.

I have about eight pots of Cape Primroses now, not including the five or six eBay leaf cuttings that I started last fall/winter that I’ll work to pot on next weekend.

Here is one of the eBay cultivars–would love to get this one to bloom!

 

A few more chores were tackled in the garden today.

Tomorrow is Easter and this big pot of bright hyacinths seemed more Eastery than anything in the garden.

More hyacinths on the shelf outside the French doors.

This second-year hyacinth has a more natural look than the fuller first-year bulbs.

Osmanthus x burkwoodii (?) blooming in a pot on the patio.  The fragrance is wonderful.

Another view.  The leaves are gorgeous, too.  This shrub was looking sickly a year ago with yellowy leaves, but I moved it to a shadier site and that appears to have done the trick.

Corydalis in the same pot as the Osmanthus.

Sedum in a pot from sister Cate.

I forget about the purple violets in some of the patio pots until this time of year when they cheerfully surprise me.

A full pot of violets.

Trays of transplants on the greenhouse floor.  You can see all the perlite I’ve put on the cells to slow the fungus.

Masdevallias showing on on a greenhouse shelf.

Peachy-yellow clivia.

Another gorgeous clivia blooming in the greenhouse.

More pictures of my new favorite clivia flower.

Another view.

Another view…

And yet another.

Old faithful Miss Clivia from brother Tim.  These are offsets of a plant that was purchased about 40 years ago.

Oncoming clivia spike.

One of my favorite seedlings, this one has HUGE, long flowers in a more pastel orange/yellow than the species.

Cymbidium just opening.  The flowers haven’t done great this year, but there are a few flowers coming out now.

The full spike from this full-sized Cymbidium.

Another family plant from brother Tim, this is Mom’s Cymbidium, which is at least 30 years old.  It is by far the best clone I have, blooming regularly.  It seems less susceptible to viruses and aphids than the other clones in my greenhouse.

The Pleione ended up having seven flowers this year.

Side view of a Pleione flower.

More Pleione flowers.

Lewisia blooming in the greenhouse.  I’m excited to have this bright flower show–neither of the two Lewisias I have bloomed well last year.

Closer view.

This nasturtium vine is going into its third year and has flowers coming along already.  I swore off nasturtiums many years ago when black fly destroyed a whole border of them, but this vine doesn’t seem prone to aphids at all, maybe because it is enclosed in the GH.

This Restrepia guttulata is another very old plant.  It was purchased from Baker and Chantry orchids over 20 years ago.  I divided it and have two pots now of this miniature, weird orchid.

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The two Restrepias are shown here in a tray on a shelf in the greenhouse.

Another tray of transplants–these are Dianthus and Anagalis.

The tags are for the seeds I planted yesterday of Meconopsis and Digitalis.

The remaining Osteospermum seedlings are in the pots surrounding the Restrepias.  They were growing pretty well, but have slowed.

Center is a pot of Eccremocarpus with several seedlings.  It is always interesting to see how leaf shapes change in seedlings.

Eventually the leaves will look like the below (photo from Hortus Camdenensis)

Here is the Air Plant Tree, recnetly populated by a donaton from our friend, Naomi.

I suspect we have Juncoes nesting around the house somewhere.  This one was keeping an eye on me as I gardened.

Mertensia buds in the Doug fir bed–also called Virginia Bluebells.

There is only one Trillium left in the Doug fir bed, but it is about to bloom.

Fritillaria imperialis blooming in the Doug fir bed.

Another view.

Anemone blanda trying hard to stand out in the Doug fir bed.

Gorgeous, delicate Anemone flowers.

Hyacinths and mini narcissi next to the house.  Cheerful and fragrant!